I'm Rosie and I'm a carboholic

Well, osteoarthritis is degenerative, and both knees looked very worn on the x-rays, so I guess it will have to happen, but moving less weight around when on crutches has got to be better, hasn't it? Also, hospitals are very unhealthy places. I don't want to find I pick up a wound infection and due to diabetes end up with it not healing or getting complications. The more able I am to move after surgery, the sooner I get out!

Brunneria said:

Low carbing loosely fits the anti-arthritis diets I've read about, and it definitely reduces general levels of inflammation... The only times I've had arthritis flare ups in my fingers and knuckles has been when carbing. All symptoms subside as soon as I get back on the straight and narrow and buttery.

I've no idea how bad your knees are too bad to improve, but I'm hoping they do, for your sake.

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I didn't know that about low carbs and low inflammation. I've certainly been taking far fewer painkillers. This time last year I think I was just about living on them.

Really, I feel as if I've come such a long way with this low carb lark. OK, I'm not always being perfect, but I feel so much healthier. The joy in being able to walk my gorgeous dog is wonderful. Still shed loads of weight to lose, but it's not going up, and is ever so slowly still going down - and I have to say thanks to everyone on here for their support. It makes it easier.

It's week 11 of my low carb lifestyle and I have to report that I'm doing OK. Still not having potatoes, bread, pasta or rice in my general diet, though I have had small amounts of these on the very odd occasion (less than once a week) if I've gone out for a meal.

I don't seem to be keeping my carbs below 20g a day any more, but I'm not stressing about that as I am losing weight at the same rate and feel that I am getting to eat a good balance of foods.

I was mildly worried about the amount of processed pork produce I was munching - bacon, ham, salami etc - but I'm getting a bit more variety at the moment, so that's ok.

I now weigh 16st 5lb and my BS for the last few weeks is between 5.9 and 7.9, but I've been experimenting with testing at different times, like an hour after food, so can also see I still go up to 10.6, and on one occasion to 11.8 after I had forgotten to take any of my drugs

So you can see I'm not doing too bad. Am sticking with it, but there's still room for improvement here.

Ah, but you're losing more weight than me. I'm averaging 1lb a week and at times I'm still doing BAD stuff - like way too much booze last Friday - and a whole load of Indian pakoras yesterday 'cos they were cheap.

Mind you, being good doesn't always pay. I decided to try blueberries in yoghurt this morning as I've read loads of people on here say they are good for breakfast. 3 hrs afterwards, and after a dog walk, I was still 8.9 on my meter. Mind you, I suppose that could still be a leftover from the pakoras, as I do take a long time to come down after a big carby thing.

I think this is now week 14 for me and I felt I was due a bit of a review.

I've been checking in less frequently, but am still trying to follow my new low carb lifestyle. I have had carbs on a few occasions, but am still on average keeping my daily carbs below 50g for the last 90 days (actually, on the MyFitnessPal report it shows av 41). However, in the last month that does include 5 days where I went over 100g, 4 days when I went above 200g, and one sad day when I went above 300g. I'm not managing so many days below 30, which I was doing in the very early days of low carbing. Consequently my average BS is higher than in the early days.

Being able to look back and see what I've been eating is useful. For the last week I've not really been keeping my food record and reviewing my progress like this does show me I should get back to that as it keeps my goals in mind.

I am slowly losing weight. I was getting a bit despondent about how slow this is. I am getting on the scales every day even though I know this is a bad idea for me. I seem to need to know I'm not going up, but I also know my weight fluctuates a lot on a daily basis. However, looking at it over a longer period I see that at the beginning of July I was 16st 7lb and at the beg of Aug I was 16st 4lb. I know that's not a huge loss, but seeing smaller numbers in black and white is a bit of a boost.

I have had a general feeling of having struggled to keep my BS low recently, but looking at my records I can see partly this has been because I've been testing a few fasting times, so that has put my average higher. It also includes one day when I completely forgot to take my morning meds. No idea why, but the result was testing at 11.8. Most days it's in the 6s or 7s, but my average for July is actually 8, so I do need to work on this some more. It's telling me that it's way too early to try introducing a few more carbs, like the roti I made to with curry last night (still better than naan).

I'm not bored with low carbing. It seems to fit with my likes. I don't particularly miss potatoes, pasta or rice. I do miss bread in all forms from toast, sandwiches and naan, to doughnuts, iced-buns and biscuits. I also miss ice-cream. I just have to accept these things will damage me more than it's worth for the short term enjoyment.

I am feeling really healthy. Following advice on the forum to considerably up my water intake has stopped me swinging between constipation and the Metformin runs. I am walking so much better, and pain from arthritis is greatly reduced so barely an Ibuprofen passes my lips. I am seriously considering holding out on the knee replacement for a bit, at least until I lose some more weight and so ease recovery. Less sugar also means I don't get any nasty yeast infections and my skin and hair are great.

Being refused the knee operation due to high blood sugar was what made me start accepting the diabetes and begin to do something about it. Wanting to be able to walk when my husband and I go travelling is a great incentive to keep it up. My dad also has diabetes, which he makes little effort to control and now uses insulin. He's just been on holiday with the rest of the family and couldn't go anywhere really, as he just can't walk. I know he could improve, but he chooses not to. I'm not going down that route.

Choosing to follow a low carb low calorie diet is working well for me. I'm not a saint. I still have times where I don't follow good portion control, or I am seduced by ice-cream, but largely I'm OK. My report on my self would be am doing fine with areas where I could improve.

Well, my last posts on here were a year ago, but I am still trying and still having good and bad time with the ood. I too have to watch the snacking. I've stopped buying nuts. I am trying coffee with cream if I'm actually hungry, olives or a slice of cheese cut into small pieces to nibble while watching TV. I wonderful if I could strat a trend of mindful nibbling - deliberately aking tiny nibbes of cheese to make snacking last as long as possible.

You know, I really, really hate my new laptop's keyboard. As I type I miss loads of letters and have to go back and change them and I inevitably miss some out. Just to let you know I am not becoming decreasingly literate. I tell you, it makes writing a right pain in the proverbial.

Pipp said:

I like the concept mindful nibbling.
I try not to do snacking, such a bad habit for me. Although not criticising anyone who does. I mean the habit of automatic grazing whilst concentrating on something else, like TV or reading. I drink water or mint tea instead now as it was so easy to over eat without realising it if my mind is on something else.

Good to see you posting again @RosieLKH

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I will try the mint tea. I think a strong flavour will be good to stop me snacking.